A Beautiful Place to Be
by BellaGraceDawson
Summary: Tori Darling's world is flipped upside down as she is unexpectedly taken into a world full of mystical creatures and adventure by a strange familiar boy who can fly, a boy her grandmother use to tell stories about... a boy that never existed. Beyond her own knowledge, Tori is in danger and this older, changed boy is the only one who can save her. Rated T for language and romance.
1. Damn Curtains

**I own nothing but OC's. Enjoy. **

Tori's POV

_Commonly known as Peter Pan Syndrome, the adult body maintains the mentality of a child; a curse given to the most unfortunate in my opinion. Why be ridiculed or diagnosed as sick for never wanting to grow up? None of us ever do really. There will always be this resistance within, this fire that only subsides as our doubts and social needs grow. The real question lies in what's worth losing your flames. _

My eyes snapped away from my laptop screen and to the large window. Nervously scratching my mahogany desk with my fingernail, I stood. That was the fourth or fifth time I heard a noise coming from the window. There view wasn't blocked by any trees and the cool October air didn't carry much of a draft. It was as if a young handsome suitor had been throwing pebbles and I didn't realize it. Ha, yeah right. I laughed to myself and tiredly shuffled over to the windowsill.

Looking below, all I could see was my dark backyard slightly lighted by the full moon. My eyes traveled upward, then side-to-side. Still nothing. Shrugging, I reached forward to bring the double doors of the window towards me, latching the lock for the night and drawing the grape colored curtains. The small desk lamp next to my laptop even seemed too bright for my tired eyes. It was past midnight and I still didn't have this stupid report done. If Grandmother knew how late I've been staying up, she'd kill me. Besides, it was a long day tomorrow.

I'd been attending Brickford High School in London, living with my grandmother Wendy in her childhood home. I slept in her old room. She's lived here all her life, she said. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live in the same house for the rest of your days. Where would you find excitement? Mystery? Thought excitement would broil up in a matter of hours now.

Because my mother was coming to visit.

Don't be fooled by the enthusiasm. My mom isn't exactly the most caring human being in the world, another good reason why I'm living with Grandmother. She's been attending rehabilitation for the past sixth months. As far as I know, her unmentionable addictions have become a tad more manageable. My father died when I was very young. I hardly remembered him. The real adult figure I had in my life was Wendy.

I shook my head quickly, hoping to kick the dwelling thoughts of my mother out of my head. I rubbed my hands over my eyes a couple times to wake up and began typing furiously. I was pretty good at telling stories from the top of my head, so writing a stupid psychology report wasn't too difficult. Storytelling (also known as bullshitting) runs in the family, especially on my mother's side.

Wrapping up the last few sentences, I let out a sigh of relief and saved my completed report. Piece of cake, right? Sometimes, I find my mind wandering while I'm trying to do something important. I guess I've always been a daydreamer that way, just like Grandmother. I really looked up to her. She was commonly known as "the woman with wings". She used to tell the story of "Peter Pan", how he whisked her away in mid-air and brought her to a world of romance and adventure. That's probably why I chose the syndrome as my report; to defend her honor. I laughed to myself again closed my laptop, leaving me with the overbearing light of my desk lamp.

"Tori?" the small, mousy voice came through my closed door muffled. I gasped and shut off my desk lamp, running across the large room into one of the three beds. I tangled myself into the sheets right as Grandmother opened the door. Pretending (well, half pretending) to have been asleep, I slowly sit up and peer through the dim light creaking around the doorway. Grandmother's silhouette leans over to spot me "sleeping".

"Yes, Gram?" I fake-yawn.

"Hmm, strange," she sighs in relief, "I thought I heard something."

"Nothing here," I smiled sleepily. Pretending to be tired isn't that hard past midnight, "Just sleeping."

"Well, okay," she replied doubtfully, "Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight," I conclude. As she shut the door, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Grandmother always got this way at night. On multiple occasions, I'd catch her peeking into my room in the middle of the night, making sure I was still there… like I could just disappear.

Gosh, that damn window again!

Peter's POV

Sixty-five… that's how long it's been. Sixty-five years of watching through that blasted window and the girl finally decides to get a decent pair of curtains. It wasn't her fault. Her grandmother never even bothered to tell her the truth behind her story-telling.

Wendy knew I was here. I could feel it in my bones. I would watch through the window of her room, waiting for her to check on her granddaughter. She was protecting her from me, knowing more than I did that something was coming.

Something was coming for the girl that now sleeps in her bed, shares her blood and skin, and has the same green eyes that dance like moths to a flame. It was like another Wendy in that bed. If the real one didn't want the bad things to creep on her, she'd have to let me first.

The same jingle of bells ringed through my ears. Another warning from Tink. It used to be a lot easier to drown out. Either I lost my touch or I was getting into a lot more trouble nowadays.

_Peter, no. This isn't right. _

"Be careful, Tink," I laughed, trying to see through the curtains, "You're caring side is showing again."

_I'm serious!_

"So am I," I replied.

_Please, Peter. The girl will be fine. Nothing in London is going to touch her. _

"I'm not worried about that."

There was a pause. _Hook hasn't been seen since Wendy, Pan. Let's just go home. I'm weak, and you're growing._

Despite the fact that Tinkerbell was extremely obnoxious and bossy, she had a point. Being in London this often wasn't good for a small thing like her. It was cold, impure. She wouldn't last a week. Though I always offered for her to stay home, she insisted on coming. Mostly because she doesn't trust me a lick.

Another though lingered in the back of my head but stifled it. It wasn't worth the worry. But as I looked down at my hands, my fears had been confirmed. My arms were much more muscular, hairier. The Indians back at home had to sew me bigger clothing. Yes, it was true.

I was growing.

"Tink," I swallowed, "If she's in danger…"

_Just tonight, Peter. Please. I'll even let you return on your own next time. _

Looking beside myself, I laid my eyes on the orb of golden light known as Tinkerbell and smiled. "Okay," I gave in, "Let's get out of here."


	2. Bells

Tori's POV

I immediately regretted staying up late when I woke up that morning. My eyes adjusted to the sunlight seeping through the now open window. Grandmother probably did that to help me wake up. There was no fooling her sometimes. Sitting up, I felt the chill of the morning coming through the threshold and frowned to myself. Grim weather for a grim day.

Before leaving, I stopped in front of the full body mirror. I never was crazy about my wild appearance. No matter how much time I took in the morning I always had fanatical waves of hair that fell around my shoulders and down my back. They blonde seemed even more golden with the gray outside. I buttoned up my flannel shirt once and grabbed my jacket. I never grew accustomed to the driving habits in London so I resorted to walking. I think the rest of the population and I would be much safer.

"Tori!" Grandmother called from below. It was so strange how her voice could always project through the three story house. I guess living here long enough had its perks. "Make sure to shut your window!"

"Okay!" I called back, turning to the window. I took a sharp gasp. What the hell? I could've sworn… how…?

The window was already shut; curtains and all. How did I not hear anything? It couldn't be the wind. It just couldn't.

"Grandmother," I said as I met her in the kitchen.

"You've missed breakfast," she interrupted, "I made you something to go." She gestured to the small paper bundle by my bag.

"Thanks," I smiled, and then returned to my questions, "Grandmother, the window was already closed when you asked me to shut it. Is that strange to you?" I wasn't expecting a long pause, so long that it made me look up from my bag and at my grandmother. Her back was facing me as she worked tediously at the sink.

"No," she finally answered, "I don't believe so. It's pretty windy today."  
"But I didn't hear anything," I tested.

"You've always been a bit of daydreamer, honey," she turned around and smiled. I always admired my grandmother's timeless beauty. Even with laugh lines and wrinkles, she had a beautiful face, full lips any man would be lucky to kiss, and bright green eyes like my mother and I. Her hair was graying but still carried that ginger light. Her hands carried much wisdom, even when they were covered in soapy water they had an intense effect.

"I suppose so," I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of my own thoughts; "I better get going."

"Okay, just make sure you come straight home after work tonight," she said, "You're mother is very anxious to see you."

"I will," I said, ignoring the last comment about my mom. Until the moment I had to see her, I planned on being completely normal throughout the day. There wouldn't be anything changing until 8 o'clock. After that… well, I didn't know.

I slung my bag over my torso and started down the average route to school. Brickford was only a few blocks. This particular day was gloomy and cold. I hated days like this. No color, just the gray. Everyone seemed to change with the hue of the sky anyway. Everyone's skin seemed tinted with gray and their souls began weeping for a better day.

I tucked my chin down as a gust a wind nearly blew me sideways. I felt as if I were in the Windy City again. I couldn't even smile at my own pathetic joke. Every thought of home was laced with my mother's mistakes.

"Cheer up, chum." I jumped in surprise to the sound of my close friend Oliver. His dark hair was smoothed down professionally yet his glasses were lying crooked on his face. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of those cute determined brown eyes of his.

"I didn't think you'd be at school today," I said, looking ahead again.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He could hardly get an inquiry out before sneezing loudly. A couple passing us on the street were caught off guard and scolded him.

"You know what I mean," I replied, "You have a cold."

"Cold, schmold," Oliver waved away with his hand, "Besides, if I miss another day of school, I'll be up to my chin with homework. Did you finish your book report?"

"Peter pan syndrome refrains the human mind from branching farther than the one of a child," I quoted with a fake-British accent. Oliver laughed at my failed attempt.

"You'd think you could catch on to some sort of drawl being in London as long as you have," he said in his own perfect smooth intonation. I wanted to smile but his statement only made me think of the fact my mom was coming to visit… and I began to fear the reason why.

"What if I said I wouldn't be in London much longer?" I asked. Oliver's long hand closed around my arm, stopping us both in our tracks. His eyes were questioning, his brow furrowed. He was worried. I shook my head and made myself laugh, "It was just a what-if question." We began walking again.

"I would say don't frighten me that way," he sighed in relief, tousling my crazy hair, "So tell me what it is we're doing after class today… playing hooky at work?"  
"Or going to work," I said slapping his arm at the thought of skipping work. I always followed through with my commitments, no matter what.

"You never have any fun," Oliver laughed, "Take the training wheels off. Isn't that something Americans say?"

"Not since 1950," I joked. All of a sudden, my right shoulder collided with another. I reeled back only for Oliver to save me from falling to the pavement. I looked up and say another person looking down at me. He wasn't much different from the crowd of people surrounding me. He was taller, dressed in dark jeans and a black zip-up hoodie, and had sandy blonde hair that was naturally disheveled. Like I said, he wasn't much different… Except for the fact he was probably freezing. Despite his jeans and hoodie I was plain to see that he had absolutely nothing underneath his clothes. His upper half was bare underneath his jacket and he noticed that I noticed.

His green eyes held mine for a moment, and time seemed to stop. I don't know what it was that made me so drawn to him. His gaze was holding some secret that I didn't feel fully in on. He kept staring at me until his mouth finally curved into a smile.

"I'm sorry," I said, hoping I only stuttered in my head.

"It's okay," he replied, "You must be Tori." I was beyond taken aback by his statement. By the sound of his voice he wasn't a London native. In fact, he sounded very much American.

"Um, what?" I hesitated to ask.

"Tor," Oliver mumbled in my ear. It almost sounded like a warning, but I was too smart to actually think poor Oliver would cause a scene in the middle of the sidewalk.

"I used to be close to your grandmother," he explained. The secret that seemed to linger in his eyes now expanded to the way he spoke. I still couldn't catch on.

"Oh, well, she was pretty public with her storytelling," I laughed it off, completely giving up on his mysteriousness. There was no cracking this one; not without making a complete idiot out of myself.

"Yeah," he agreed, "A wonderful lady, if you ask me." The way he smiled, the way he looked at me… all it did was make me hear a song of bells and my mouth curve into a similar grin. The way Oliver gripped my shoulders said how much he was enjoying this encounter.

"I should, uh," I laughed girlishly, "I should go. Um, we have class. I-It's a lovely coincidence talking to you."

"Likewise," he said. Oliver felt it was his cue to basically drag me away. My head was still filled with the bells; I couldn't even remember to ask for the boy's name. But as we walked (more like stumbled) away, I heard him whisper one last thing before we were out of earshot.

"Until next time, Darling."

Peter's POV

She was definitely a Darling. I could feel it in me, and so could she. Deep down, she knew who I was. Her heart could tell her before her brain could. But Tori Darling wasn't the kind of girl to trust her instinct too much. I suppose it was much better that way. If she knew who I was right away, there wouldn't be much to do in the middle of London except for stare.

She could hear the bells. She smiled at their heavenly song. That's how I knew she was Wendy's blood… but there was more to it. It was so strong. It was not something I could explain or even understand myself. There would be no way of knowing until we saw each other again.

And I would have to make sure that happened.

I came back to London this morning after a night at home. Tink wasn't strong enough to travel back with me, so I made her keep her promise in letting me go alone. It's a good thing, too. If Tink knew my encounter with Tori happened the way it did, she would've flipped. Having contact with her, actually physical contact was more than dangerous; at least until she figured out who I was.

I would have to approach her in private. How in the hell was I suppose to do that? Follow her? It's not like I could fly out in the open like that. Not only would she see me but so would the rest of the population.

And so would they.

I knew a lot more than Tank believed I knew. I was told by both the Indians and mermaids that a Darling was in danger. Everyone in Neverland knew that Wendy grew old, and she would be of no use there. But Tori? Tori was like me; she was young and vulnerable. Without knowledge of the evil following close behind, she would easily fall into a trap. The solution?  
Get to her before they do.

No one would recognize me the way I am now. I guess that's one perk I have of this… this curse. I always promised myself, promised my people that I would never grow up. But sixty years of coming back and forth into London has changed me… has made me what I am now.

And now that I've seen those green eyes, I'm not sure if there's ever going back.

**A/N: I know it's a bit slow, but keep reading. Some of the best stories build only gradually. **


	3. Floating

**My apologies for taking forever on this. I work a ton and am getting ready for school. I like feedback. It helps me out a ton. Thanks all. **

Tori's POV

"It was a lovely coincidence talking to you," Oliver imitate, poking at my sides so I giggled like a fanatic girl even more.

"Oh, stop!" I laughed, swatting his hands away and punching him in the shoulder.

"Did you see the way he looked at you?" he asked, "It was like you were a meal."

"For a second I thought he was going to take me with him," I sighed.

"For a second I thought you were going to let him," Oliver repeated. He smiled and tousled my hair again.

"He knew my grandmother," I stated.

"Yeah, what was that about? Did you even recognize him?"

"Not at all. I mean she used to be a teller for the neighborhood kids… maybe when he was younger?"

"You should ask her," he laughed, "Ask if she knows any mysterious blonde boys. Who knows, maybe he's the man in the flesh himself."

"Yeah, sure," I said, "I'm starting to think Peter Pan is waiting around every corner I turn."

"How haven't you felt like that your whole life?" Oliver asked. He did have a point, didn't he? All my life, I've been told the same story Grandmother has told everyone. It never altered over the years, never changed. It was always the same boy and the same adventure.

"You'd think it'd get boring right?" I looked up at my best friend.

"What'd get boring?" he looked at my puzzled.

"The story," I replied, "The legend of it all."

"I don't know," he pondered, "After hearing it a million times I guess it would."

"Right," I laughed to myself. That was just the thing though, the one thing that no one, not even Oliver, seemed to understand. The story never got old. Even though I knew it like the back of my hand, an intense feeling of adventure and romance lingered around it. That's how Grandmother could draw children in. That's how any storyteller does it, really. It's just the feeling you get when you hear it, when your eyes skim over the words. In the case of Peter Pan, Oliver was right. The magic never left me.

Brickford High School was the epitome of boring. Even trying to tell you about the classes would be a waste of time. The walls were bare and the rooms were small and stuffy. There were only a small handful of teachers that I could understand and I assumed majority of them hated it there too. The day was only long and boring. I kept up with all my classes so I would leave the building with no homework. Oliver on the other hand, he had a tendency to slack off a bit.

After school, I always met Oliver at my locker. Though we were both anxious to leave that hell-hole, he always seemed to beat me there. When I saw him this time, his back was facing me, body hunched over, like he was cradling some more delicate than glass. I tilted my head to the side in confusion and started towards him.

When I got closer I realize he was talking on his phone. His voice sounded frail and sick, making me even more puzzled. I put my hand on his shoulder, making him jump when he looked at me. "Yes, it's been going around school," he explained sickly. He waited for the reply, "Yes, we'll both be well enough to come in tomorrow…"

No.

I hopped onto Oliver's back, wrapping my legs around his torso and beating on his back with my fists. Taken aback, he started spinning around to get me to fall off. But I still had to give him props for being able to talk on the phone through it all.

"That's right," he coughed, "Thank you!" He quickly hung up as I slid off his back. I began an ambush of slaps on his chest and he started laughing, "What the bloody hell are you doing?"  
"You called us off work!?" I exclaimed, "Oliver, you can't do that!"

"What's the big deal?" he asked, "We're sick."

"No, _you're_ sick!" I yelled, "I'm not sick."

"Oh, you're not?" he asked, as if he had no idea, "My mistake. Looks like it's too late to call back." I glared at Oliver, only making him grin wider.

"I hate you," I said, losing all the power in my voice. A smile slowly formed on my face.

"Hate me?" he questioned, "Not possible. I won't have it." He threw his shoulder around me and pulled me closer, "So what are we going to do now?"

"Anywhere but home," I cringed.

"I know just the place!" Oliver exclaimed.

"We're going to the coffee shop again aren't we," I said in a monotone voice.

"Psssh, no," Oliver coughed.

Peter's POV

My navigation skills were twisted in London. I just saw the girl now I couldn't find her anywhere. It took my forever to realize girls her age went to school. By the time I found the right one, she was already gone. Every time I thought of her, every time I pictured her green eyes, I could sense where she was. It would be the tiniest hint, like the feeling of paper or the smell of something as foul as the human creation called coffee. I couldn't believe it myself at first, but the more I came back and forth into London, I started becoming more and more connected to her. I thought it was Wendy at first. That made more sense. With everything that was already happening to me, I couldn't help but think this was all connected.

Wishing Tink was there with me, I started for coffee shops. She had a better sense of direction than me anywhere. It was around seven o'clock now. The sun going and I was running out of time. There would be no way to confront her if she went home. Wendy wouldn't allow it. Why, I wasn't so sure. Tori Darling was in danger and there was no way to determine who it was or what they would do with her if they caught her.

I stopped dead in my tracks as the temperature seemed to have dropped to a freezing point. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up like spikes. I could sense the movement of them around me. I shut my eyes and bystanders continued to walk around me, giving me confused and suspicious glances as they passed. I had to find the direction they were in, how many of them there were.

It was him. I could feel it. Forgetting where they were or which direction they were going, I thought of Tori Darling. _Where are you_. I repeated the thought in my head over and over again. I had to beat them there, I had to find her. I had to protect her.

My eyes bolted open as it clicked. She was so close, I could feel her. Her hands were gliding across a wooden table nervously. Her eyes were sad and her smile was gone. She was sad.

But she was right across the street. The window of the coffee shop was dimly lit, but I could see her sitting in the corner from miles away. She was with her other friend, the one I saw this morning. I had to get her alone. If they caught her with him, they'd kill him. Yes, I had to get her alone. But how?

My prayers were answered when she stood up and began to leave. She kissed the top of the boys head, making my body chill. My hand slowly traveled up to my lips, my fingers brushing against them. Something terrible was happening to me. I watched as she made her way to the door, towards me. The bells! She had to hear them. Once she reached outside her pace slowed and her eyes were searching the area. I began walking across the street quickly, my pace quickening when I noticed she couldn't see me yet.

That's when it happened.

Tori's POV

We did go to the coffee shop; not the one we worked at. It was bigger, more public. It actually got customers. Oliver and I sat there until 7:30, talking our heads off like I wasn't going to see him tomorrow. Though that wasn't true, I had a feeling it would happen someday. Believe it or not, I didn't come to London willingly. I have friends at home I miss, I had a life there. But now, being here, something feels different. Especially in the last couple days, something has latched onto me like an anchor. I didn't want to be anywhere else.

"I wish we could just live here," I said.

"In a coffee shop?" Oliver asked, "I mean, if we threw in a couple decorative pillows and a shower, I'd do it." When I didn't answer, Oliver threw a piece of straw wrapper at me. It bounced off my forehead, "You really don't want to go home, do you?"

"Not at all," I shook my head.

"Look," he said, taking my hands across the table. They were much warmer than mine, powerful, "You need to face this. Just get through the night, call me, and tell me all about it."

"You're probably right," I sighed, "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Sure thing baby," he said. As I stood, I leaned in and kissed the top of his head. He looked up at me as I smiled goodbye. But the gleam in his eyes seemed to change at that very moment. A part of him, a confusing part, was showing and I didn't know what to make of it.

"You okay?" I asked, ruffling his hair which was now in his natural disheveled mess.

"I really want to tell you something," he sighed, "But it can wait until tomorrow. I want you to just get through tonight okay?"

"Oliver," I said as my heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach, "Please don't tell me something that'll make me hate you."

"I'm not going anywhere, love," he said, "Just… let me take you by surprise tomorrow?" My smiled returned when the confusing look on his face no longer possessed him.

"Okay," I replied, "I'll see you tomorrow."

For some reason, it took a lot for me to leave the coffee shop. Oliver was my best friend. He's the only friend I knew I could have forever. I loved everything about him, but there was something now that was beginning to scare me. An eerie feeling fell over me as I stepped out into the dark. In that moment, I wanted to get home as soon as possible. If I cut through the alley next to the coffee shop, my house was only a couple blocks over. There was really no other way that was quicker.

My heart skipped a sudden beat when I heard it again. It was that sweet, sweet sound that mesmerized me before. My eyes scattered across the surrounding area and stopped when they met his. He was across the street, his look as startled as mine. Was he watching me? Did he think I wouldn't see him? Or was this just a coincidence. No, no this was just chance. There's no way he…

My mouth slowly dropped and my eyes widened as the guy I met before began to float. That's right, his feet shifted off the ground and levitated in the middle of the air. He was suspended but confused by his own action. He quickly dropped to the ground, his eyes still on mine. They were apologetic, like he knew what I was thinking. This guy did know me. He knew me and he was after me. My racing mind kept me immobilized. So many questions came to mind at the same time. If there was one thing I knew for sure, it's that this freak was using my grandmother's stories and tricks to scare me.

My feet regained their ability to move. They picked up speed into the alley. I turned my body around and began running as fast as I could.

But something came out of nowhere and knocked me flat on my back. My vision was blurred. The single light in the alley looked like an exploding star up close. Little crystals of light danced around my eyes. The bells cut off and I heard a shift of movement on every side of me.

"Is this her?" a man with a thick British accent nearly stuttered out. There had to be about four or five of them. Though I was impaired, I knew I was surrounded. There was no way out.

"I'd imagine so," another accent sounded, "Did you see the way the boy looked at her?" I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, trying to get my self-control back. A slight throbbing in my head grew into something beyond damaging.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" one of them said, "Let's get this broad and go. The cap'n doesn't want us too late."

"Don't call that little brat the Cap'n, Smee," the other said, "He's not our Cap'n."

"N-now, now," Smee replied calmly, "I'm sure Cap'n would want us to treat him as if he were."

"Whatever," another chimed in, "Let's get this bitch." A pause between the group gave me enough time to see clearly. The conversation among them was more than confusing but I had no time to question it. They were trying to put me in a damn bag.

They were kidnapping me.


	4. Under Attack

**It's come to my attention there are quite a few technicality issues. I have already misspelled multiple words and have changed from present to past tense. I apologize for these errors and will hopefully do a better job at catching them. I'm not the best at proofreading. Thank you for the review **

Tori's POV

My eyes widened and I reacted quickly. I brought my foot up into the groin of a man directed in front of me, causing him to fall backwards. It caused enough of a distraction for me to stand and run in one fluid motion.

I didn't get too far until someone grabbed a handful of my hair on the back of my head. I groaned in pain and went backwards. Before the man could say something witty and evil I swung my elbow back until it made contact with his face. He was much bigger than me and only stumbled back, but I would take it.

"Don't let her get away!"

My heart was racing and my head was pounding. Adrenaline was pulsing through my body like a poison and I knew I would be out run by at least one of them. I didn't think too much about it and just let my legs carry me as far away as I could.

But there were no footsteps running except for mine. My mind told me to keep running anyway, but my feet still stopped. I turned back completely out of breath to see where my attackers were, why they weren't chasing me. There was no way they would let me go that easily.

The light through the alley shined down on the silhouette of a single figure surrounded by the unconscious attackers on the floor.

It was the boy across the street. He was here. He saved me. But he was after me too wasn't he?

He started towards me but I didn't give him a chance to even speak. I began running again; and I didn't look back.

Peter's POV

It was easy to overpower them. They were expecting the strength and mentality of a young boy, but they were wrong. I wasn't that anymore and they weren't prepared for it. To say the least, neither was Tori. The look on her face was pure confusion and fear; for some reason, that broke me. I would rather see her without my company than see that look on her face again.

Wait… what?  
The flying was unexplainable. I only use my ability when I want to. It never spontaneously happened like that. But when the bells sounded through both of our ears, it didn't only affect Tori this time. Before I could land myself, she was running. That's when I saw the pirates knock her to the ground.

I was so stupid. I should've known they were there. I was too distracted by Tori and her entire… being. I never actually took the time to think whether or not involving me with another Darling would be a good idea. But it was too late. She saw me fly, saw me save her, and now I was chasing her.

I couldn't let her go home. Whoever was there would be in just as much trouble as she was; and trust me, she was enough to handle. She was running through the alley still and I could tell she was getting tired. It would be easy to overpower her and I couldn't allow the enemy to be the one who does it. I inched closer and closer each stride I took to her. She wasn't looking back, not allowing her thoughts to take over her instincts. I didn't blame her.

"Tori!" I called, "Tori stop!" She didn't listen. I was almost there though, almost able to reach her. If she could just listen to what I had to say, she would be fine, right? That's what I was trying to convince myself.

The consequences of catching her now is I would have to take her back with me, willing or not. They were only after her. They wouldn't be smart enough to go after her friend or even Wendy for that matter. They were blinded by greed and self-fulfillment. All they wanted was Tori Darling and until I could figure out why, I would have to keep her with me.

I finally snatched the hood of Tori's jacket and used all my strength to pull her back against me. Her physical instincts began to kick in, so I didn't expect the hard blow to the face. We fell to the paved ground, both disoriented yet anticipating each other's next move. Tori's eyes darted from me to a lead pipe next to a dumpster. Scrambling to her feet she grasped it firmly with both hands, prepared to use it against me.

"Get up," she commanded crossly. I slowly raised my hands in surrender, standing up as best as I could. The girl knocked the wind out of me.

"Wow," I laughed, trying to ease the tension, "Wendy could never put a fight like you."

"I have lots of time to practice," she snapped. Though she was able to speak clearly, I could tell her composure was ripping at the seams. She was terrified, the lead pipe slightly shaking in her hands. I kept my hands raised and took a step forward. She jolted back, "Not another move."  
"Tori, I'm not going to hurt you-"

"Who the hell are you?" she asked, "How do you know me really?"

"Look," I said, "This isn't the right time, Tori. They're going to wake up soon and then we'll both be in trouble. You need to come with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with any of you!" she yelled, "Help! Somebody! He's trying to kidnap me!" The windows above us near the fire escapes began to light dimly as Tori screamed for help. A gleam of hope was noticeable in her eyes as she observed. Little did she know the outcome would be a lot less beneficial to her. We would all be exposed if I didn't get Tori out of there right now. Instantly convincing myself it was for her own good, I locked my arms around her, knocking the lead pipe to the ground.

"I'm sorry about this," I whispered in her ear. Concentrating on the things that warmed my heart, I allowed my body to shoot off the ground and into the cool night air. Tori didn't have to scream until the buildup left her body in a gasp. The grip I had on her quickly turned into an equal embrace as I flew above the buildings of London. Tori stared up at me, her green eyes confused, mortified, and teary. She was at a loss for words, overwhelmed by the contradiction of her rational beliefs. If I owed her anything, it would be a proper explanation.

I eyeballed an open rooftop and started lowering our bodies to the structure. Eventually, the wind whipping around us slowed into the normal breeze it previously was. As our feet touched the roof, I immediately let go of Tori. She needed air, space. I could understand her panic and inability to process everything that was happening the right way.

I was surprised to see her knees begin to wobble and her body grow limp. Before she could hit the ground, I darted forward and caught her in my arms. She moaned weakly as I dragged her to the edge of the roof, sitting her down and leaning her against the small wall. Crouching in front of her, I put both cold hands on the side of her hot face. Her eyes traveled everywhere on me.

"How…" she breathed completely exasperated.

"It's hard to explain," I replied. The battle between Tori and her instincts was resuming. She shifted uncomfortably as if she was trying to push me away.

"I have to… I have to get out of here," she grunted. I back away, allowing her to stand. It wasn't like she was able to get too far up here anyway. To my astonishment, she stood up easily.

"Tori, please," I begged, "I know you're confused and I know you're scared… but I'm the least of your worries. There are some very bad people after you and if you don't want to get the ones you love killed, then you need to trust me."

"You flew!" her voice rose into a roar. She put hands on the sides of her head as if she was hallucinating. A small line of blood outlined her right temple. I couldn't tell how serious it was, but knew it could be easily healed back at home. "Who… who are you?" she asked again.

"You know who I am," I replied, crossing my arms across my chest, "You really want to go over the formal introduction?"

"You're…" she couldn't finish her sentence so I did.

"Yes," I answered, "Peter… Peter Pan."

Tori's POV

Not considering the consequences, I laughed. This guy was a joke. He had to be; just some creep obsessed with my family's childish stories, right? All my life, Peter Pan lived in my head and only my head. This was just a manifestation, a projection from my imagination. There was no Peter Pan, I was not on this rooftop, and he didn't fly to get us there. This was just me going insane.

"You're not real," I glared at him, "You're not…" I couldn't grasp the right words. Every time I opened my mouth, my body swayed back and forth like it was on a boat though I knew it was perfectly still.

"I am," he said, "Tori, I'm real. I'm right here… and you know it. You're just scared and I understand. I really do. I owe you much more explanations than I'm allowing now, but here and now is not right. God knows how many more pirates are in London-"

"P-pirates?" I stuttered, "Those men in the alley… they tried to kidnap me. Th-they were _pirates_?"

"Yes," Peter answered, "Hook's men." Not noticing how close he was getting to me, he managed to gently take my shaking hands in each of his. With one touch, all of the vertigo and dizziness went away. Even the pain in my head began to lessen. His hands were warm now, keeping mind safe like a blanket. "Tori," he began, "Everything your grandmother told you, all of the stories about pirates, fairies, and a boy who chased his own shadow… those are all true."

"Peter," I repeated to myself, "You're Peter Pan." On any normal occasion, I wouldn't be convinced. However, a part of me didn't allow my skeptical side to emerge. It answered a lot of questions that had arisen in the past couple hours. Every time I saw him I heard bells, he knew me and my grandmother, not to mention he just flew me above the damn clouds just now. If all of this was just a figment of my imagination, I'd say I've heard one too many stories.

"My window," I said after a long pause, "You shut it that morning didn't you?"

"You were cold," he laughed softly to himself.

"H-how long have you been watching us?" I asked.

"You?" he answered, "Since you've come here to London… but Wendy? Well… let's just say a lot longer than you." A feeling of betrayal flooded through me. My grandmother knew this whole time Peter Pan was real and she never told me the truth. She experienced all of these things I thought was a fictional story.

"Did she know?" I asked, "Did she know someone was after me?"

"No," Peter answered, "Tori, this isn't her fault. She wouldn't be able to even guess this would happen to you." He wasn't making eye contact with me.

"You're lying," I stated. His snapped to me now, the same green as mine now that they were closer to me. His hands were tighter around me, making me nervous again.

"Well isn't this sweet." I looked over Peter's shoulder to see the only exit of the rooftop occupied by a dark figure. He towered over Peter and me, his body bulky with muscle and browned from intense sun. He grasped a long blade that shone under the moonlight. His eyes were dancing with joy from my fear as more men exited from the dark and onto the rooftop. There were too many now. They all surrounded us, no other way but up if Peter decided to fly again.

"N-now, now," the same man from the alley said, "D-don't be alarmed." He was short and stout, his stripped t-shirt a little too tight for his figure. He was looking directly at me and for a second, I almost wanted to believe his statement.

"Oh, shut-up, Smee," the largest pirate snarled, "We're not here for games." I observed every many around Peter and me and become more convinced they were pirates. They were dirty, rugged, and not from this century. The smell of sweat and sea salt was growing stronger and stronger under my nose and their swords seemed to grow even longer than they already were.

Now was the time to decide what was real, what I could trust. No… this was real. These were pirates, that was Peter Pan, and we were both in a shitload of trouble.

"You're not touching her," Peter stated darkly. He was facing the pirate, but his one arm looped around me behind his back. I gripped the top of his shoulders for dear life, my knees beginning to shake again.

All of the pirates let out a simultaneous round of evil laughter. The cliché of it all didn't make it any less nerve-wrecking. The space between us and the men was getting smaller and smaller. They were closing in on us. The man blocking the door was glaring at Peter with a smug look on his face. "It's been a while, Pan. You've _grown_ a bit, haven't ya?" the pirates teasing brought a lot of questions to mind. He was right. Peter was supposed to be the boy that never grew up, the boy who stayed a boy forever. But he was a lot more than a boy now. He was my age, a man.

"Can you fight?" Peter turned his hand over his shoulder, his question directed at me.

"I-I don't know," I hesitated.

"Now's the time to know," he answered. In one fluid motion, he lifted up the side of his black hoodie and handed me a small dagger. I took it by the handle, only staring at it like it was a live animal.

After that all hell broke loose.


	5. Glass Case

Tori's POV

When I woke up this morning I wasn't expecting all of my grandmother's fairy tales to be confirmed as true. I wasn't expecting to worry about whether or not I was ever going to see my family or Oliver again. Most importantly, I sure as hell wasn't expecting to get into a quarrel with some pirates who were trying to kidnap me. No, none of these things came to mind when I was getting ready for school that morning. Now my entire life was changing right before my eyes; and I had to decide if I was going to believe or not believe.

Throughout my entire life, my grandmother's stories were always real to me on some level. Sometimes when I was scared or sad or even pissed off, I would think about a boy flying beyond the clouds, over the moon and into an unknown world of mythical creatures and adventure. The fact that this was all waiting before me was beyond what any human being could handle.

"You mustn't fret about reality, Tori," my grandmother once told me. It was when I first moved in with her. I was lying in my bed, unable to sleep or adjust to my new home. I worried about being so far away that it nearly gave me a panic attack. "Where you want to be is where you truly belong… and that lies in here." She pointed to her chest, right above her heart.

"You're mind will try to play tricks on you," she continued in a soft whisper as I drifted into sleep, "It'll try to tell you magic and wonder isn't real; but it is my dearest Tori. It is all real."

I knew from that moment out I would never be able to doubt my grandmother again.

"Let her go!" Peter yelled. I snapped back to reality as the dagger was ripped from my hands and pressed to my throat. One pirate had managed to overpower me in a matter of minutes. It was Peter majority of the men were fighting off. I knew I was no match for them, but I had no choice to begin with. Now I was captured.

And so was Peter.

It took two men on each side of him to hold his arms out to his sides. I squirmed helplessly in my attacker's grasp, completely baffled as to what to do next. He kept his eyes on me, only on me, as the huge muscular pirate who previously blocked the stair well to the roof began pummeling against Peter's torso. Multiple blows were put against him, causing him to groan and double over in pain. Still, out of every time he was hit, he resumed his gaze to me.

As he stared, I instantly came in touch with a foreign part of my heart, a part I never reached deep enough to recognize, a part of me I always excused.

And that part was very angry.

Not thinking about the razor sharp blade at my neck, I flung my throbbing head back until it collided with the pirate's nose. He fell backwards, yelling slurred curses and yelping in pain. I grabbed him by his shaggy hair and threw him straight into two of the men holding Peter's right arm. Not allowing myself to register another head injury, I threw the dagger at the large man who was hitting Peter. It plunged below the nape of his neck and he fell to the ground instantly. This gave Peter an advantage of the distracted pirates. He took the two on his right, ripping his arms free and knocking two cold to the ground. I ran and full speed into the two on his left, bringing them to the ground along with myself.

Believing I was about to be swallowed up in a fight cloud, I tensed all my muscles and shut my eyes, knowing the pirates I was on top of were most certainly conscious. Before any of us could react, two hands closed around the top of my arms and yanked me up on my feet. Peter pulled me away from the group, stumbling as he did, all the way to edge of the building. I faced him and he held my shoulders to keep himself upright. He was winded; the blows repeated on his body were too much for him. He was weakening and these men were going to kill him.

"Peter," I said, putting my hands on his face to make him look at me, "You need to fly. There's not much time."

"Not without you," he panted.

"You're too weak to carry the both of us," I said sharply. Grandmother's story was etched into my mind, making it easy to remember details such as how Peter Pan was able to fly. "Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts and fly out here."

"N-no," he coughed, "Not without you." It was strange the way the real world could change anyone. The slightest bit of reality changed Peter. He was supposed to be a boy who lacked sophistication and seriousness. He was childish, playful, and adventurous. Now… now he was unrecognizable to me.

There had to be a way to make him fly. Knowing that he could for sure, I thought and thought until it hit me. In a matter of seconds the pirates would emerge from the daze and attack again; but Peter would not be here to see it happen.

He flew when we met eyes. I had to base that off of a far-fetched assumption and act on it quickly. There was no guarantee it would work but anything would've sufficed. I crushed my lips to his, kissing him in a sloppy panicked manner. There would be no way of him knowing what a real kiss was supposed to feel like… right? Oh what did it matter anyway! It was saving his life. I could hear the bells in my head again, their crescendo playing in a beautiful symphonic song.

I pushed him over the edge of the building just in time. Every ounce of faith I had left was keeping me from believing I just killed him. No, this would work. It had to.

Someone behind me had knocked me out cold before I could hear any impact from his fall. There was still hope for him.

Peter's POV

When I began to grow up, my brain began to change with my body. When I was in London, I had a keener sense of judgment and my decisions were always smarter. It was easier for me to help other people when I needed to. No one would question me either; until now. Tori Darling wasn't like everyone else. I knew that from the beginning. The connection to Wendy was enough to convince me; but there was so much more.

She didn't have to believe me when I told her who I was. Though she was scared, she should've reacted a lot more harshly then she did. To be told your world will never be the same could produce enough emotions to drive someone insane. Not Tori Darling. When it came down to it, she believed everything Wendy ever told her. She may not have known it at first, but she sure as hell did now.

She saved me instead of me saving her. Although there were horrible consequences for that, I will remember it forever. When I woke up in the dark alley in London, the first thing I tried to do was remember what happened; but I couldn't. I knew Tori saved me. I knew she threw over that building thinking I would fly on my own. What in the world could she have done to know for a fact that I would fly? What did she do?

I hardly flew, anyway. I was too weak and only slowed my fall on top of a closed dumpster. I must've hit my head, causing me to render unconsciousness. I'd have to tease her for it later.

The second thing I tried to do was swat away the giant glowing bug that was too close to my face. _Peter! Peter, snap out of it! What, are you trying to kill me or something? Get up!_

"T-tink?" I called, my blurred vision adjusting to the glow of her light. How ironic that I thought the pesky glowing bug was just my pesky glowing fairy. I laughed when I saw her. She was pissed. "Sorry," I sighed, trying to sit up. My world was spinning from the inside of my eyes. They called it dizziness around here. I just called it a glitch. Thing like that don't usually happen in Neverland.

_Will you snap out of it!_ She bellowed shrilly. Her bells were going off the charts. _They took Tori Darling, Peter. They took her back and they flew! Like you do! I don't know how in the world they got the dust, but they did. We need to go!_

"Wh-what?" I asked. It came to my attention that Tori actually wasn't there. She may not have liked me that much, but she'd never choose a group of pirates of me. The fact that I could crack a joke at this time made me believe I still had a little bit of child in me; but there was no time for it.

I bolted off the dumpster and emerged from the alley. The human traffic flow was much smaller, meaning I was probably out cold for longer than anticipated. I opened up the pocket of my hoodie so Tink could slide in to hide. Starting for the sidewalk, I immediately ran into another body, catching him before he fell.

"What the bloody…" Before he could finish, he took one look at me and pushed me away. It was Tori's friend, the one she was sitting with inside the coffee place. He seemed tired, grasping what looked like Tori's bag that she had been carrying earlier. He looked at me suspiciously, observing my beaten appearance. "You look like you got hit by a bus."

"Uh, yeah," I said, "You're Tori's friend right?"

"Look," he laughed, "I get it. You're all close to the stories her grandmother used to tell her, and that's just grand. But Tori has people in her life that love her. She doesn't need anymore." Okay, I got it.

"I need you to send a message for me," I said, pretending to ignore what he just said, "I need you to tell Wendy that… that the second star to the right has fallen."

After a long pause, he burst into laughter, "Okay, you need help. You're going to have to tell her yourself."

"Where's Tori now, huh?" I asked, "Give me an answer and I'll go get me some help." His arrogant smirk fell from his face, a look of fear slowly sneaking in.

"What'd you do to her," his voice was low, like warning.

"Nothing," I said, "But someone else did… and if you want me to get her back, I suggest you get straight to the Darling household and tell Wendy what I said. Please." He was panicked now, staring at me confused and worried at the same time. I had no time for him to react. "I need you to believe it's all real." With that I turned away and ran in the opposite direction.

"Believe what!?"

_Do you think that'll really work? _Tinkerbell asked, her muffled bells ringing through my pocket.

"I think he'll go to Wendy," I replied remorsefully, "He cares too much about her not to."

_Peter?_

"Yeah?"

_Nothing… never mind._

Tori's POV

Deep down, I knew it was real. From the moment I met him, I knew who he was. My Darling blood hard only proven that further. I always knew in the back of my mind that if Peter Pan was real, I would cross paths with him one day and I would be able to identify him within a moment of eye contact.

I just didn't expect my very own dreams and imagination to come to life. This world, this very dangerous world I thought my grandmother made, was now a reality in the blink of an eye. How exactly was I supposed to feel?

Scared… I suppose very scared.

But the only thing I could fear now was the thought that I had possibly just killed London's childhood hero in hopes of saving him.

It was warm when I woke up, that perfect kind of warm that a normal human being could never produce. It still didn't excuse how badly my head was hurting. It was hit in three different places now, each spot very distinct. My mouth tasted irony and the skin around my wrists were chaffing against something. When I opened my eyes, everything that happened before I woke up came back to me.

I sat upright instantly, making my head spin and my body clench. Despite the fact that I was dizzy, the vertigo was partially caused by the fact that the room as physically bobbing up and down; not rapidly, but enough for me to notice. My eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room and I took in a sharp intake of breath.

I was in a ship cabin… an old ship. Everything around me, the walls, floors and ceiling, was made of rich mahogany wood. Paintings, maps, and ancient artifacts decorated the walls. To my left, a glass case sat parallel to me. A desk and large throne-like chair sat before two small circular windows on each side. It was dark outside… either that or there was a storm.

I looked down at my hands and noticed the silk crimson red bed sheets that surrounded me. I was sitting in a small but comfortable bed. I could sleep here all night if I wanted to; hell, if I knew my captors were friendly I would give in. They weren't though. They knocked me out and kidnapped me for a reason, and not a good one. Not to mention my wrists held heavy chained shackles that didn't allow me to spread my arms half my wingspan.

Yeah, I definitely in trouble.

Trying to remain calm, I shifted myself out of the bed. My jacket and red plaid flannel was stuck to my body from how warm I was. God knows where my bag went. Hopefully I left it with Oliver; I tend to do that often.

Oliver! I darted to the desk, throwing open the side pocket to dig for my phone. Nothing. Shit! He was probably calling me like crazy if he didn't realize my phone was in my purse. Then again, he probably believed I was on my way home right now, on my way to see my mom and grandmother.

Curiosity took its course as my eyes traveled to the items on top of the desk. A quill pen lie next to a closed jar of ink. A small stack of books sat next to large map that took up majority of the space. Taking a closer look, the age of the parchment was beyond old. The hand-drawn markings were slightly faded but not enough to make it difficult to read the caption on the top.

_ Neverland._

Trying to prevent my shackles from making too much noise, I shuffled silently over to the glass case against the wall. Medicines and seaside trinkets stood on the shelves, but a group of particular pieces drew my attention like a suction vacuum. The silver, brass, even gold glimmered above the rest of the things preserved in the case. They had to have been polished on a daily basis.

Hooks.

"I take it you slept well."

Holy…


	6. New Captain

**Again, I apologize for any grammatical/spelling errors. I don't realize they happen sometimes so please be kind and guess on what I was trying to say/spell. I hope it doesn't take away from the quality of the story. Reviews are wanted. Please tell me what you're thinking. I've gotten a couple and they have been very inspiring.**

Tori's POV

It was hard to grasp the fact that Neverland could very well change. It wasn't a world preserved into its story. No, it had a past, present and future. It changed with the seasons… or its own version, rather. People died, babies were born. It could evolve.

I obviously didn't grab hold of that concept as my captor walked into the cabin.

He took me by surprise, making my nerves jolt. His voice wasn't as raspy as I suspected; his appearance not as rugged or repulsive. James Hook wasn't what I expected. He was actually clean cut and young; not much older than me I imagined. His jet black hair was neat shoulder length, his eyes a piercing blue, a hue I could never imagine growing red with rage. His face was smooth and shaven. The look I gave him only made his playful smirk grow. I was frozen alternating my eyes between the hooks in the glass case to him. That's when I realized…

That wasn't James Hook at all.

He had hands, two perfectly functional ones. Hands don't just grow back. Neverland wasn't that high in modern technology for this to be prosthetic. Besides, it was too real. I wanted to laugh at myself. Too real? Like any of this felt real?

I stood perfectly still as he entered the cabin and shut the door. He was dressed in similar attire for a pirate except nicer. His off-white shirt slightly exposed his sun kissed skin and his black slacks were higher on his waist. To top of his accurate yet stereotypical look, he work shinny black boots I could almost see my reflection in. After locking the door, this stranger beckons me closer holding a key in front of his face. I remain where I am, only taking a step back as he took one forward. Although he was hard to turn away from, I didn't trust him; and I wouldn't.

"I am not going to bite, dove," his voice was so smooth, a perfect English accent laced his words.

"Why should I want to believe you're going to take these off if I woke up in them?" I asked, holding my hands up. He was surprised by my reply. If Grandmother's story was correct, she defied Hook quite often. This wasn't Hook and he obviously wasn't use to girls sticking up for themselves.

"I didn't chain you up, dearest," he replied, "My men said you were a fighter… precautions had to be taken if you were to wake up and uh… panic."

"I have whole lot of panic left," I warned.

"Are you implying that you wish to remain shackled?" he offered. My fingers looped into one along nervous. Either sit here chained without any means of escape, or test his trust and let him take them off.

"O-okay," I hesitated. He made things easier by confidently approaching me, taking the midpoint of the chain and pulled my hands up. I stared at him with fear as he unlocked the shackles. I spaced myself between him as he put the chains on his desk along with the key. I stared at him carefully, trying to plan what I should say next.

"You are scared," he stated matter-of-factly. I turned away, facing the wall. He wasn't going to dominate me. Not now.

"No," I said shortly. There was a pause. My stomach was doing back flips because I couldn't tell if he was moving closer. I couldn't show fear or I wouldn't be able to plan a proper escape. I had to keep it cool and let him do his worst. I decided to speak more, to test where his voice was, "Your men?"

"Hmm?" he replied. He wasn't as close as I anticipated. He had to have been sitting at his desk or something, nothing too close for comfort. But it didn't excuse my question.

"You said your men told you I was a fighter… you're saying these are your men?" I asked.

"Yes," he sighed, "I am the captain of this ship."

"No," I replied, giving myself permission to turn around and face him. As I expected, he was near his desk, leaning against the edge of it as if he had been examining me intently. I didn't know whether to be disgusted or frightened, "Where's Hook…"

The captain reacted quickly, stepping forward and craning my chin back with his finger. He towered over me yet our eyes were locked. My hands were frozen at my side, unsure of where to go or what to do. He moved so quickly I couldn't believe it. I had to get on top of things quick.

"How do you know James Hook?" he asked imperatively. His voice was low, dark. The butterflies in my stomach were multiplying, but not in a good way.

"I could ask you the same thing," I replied, his finger on my chin tilting my neck back even farther. I struggled to remain off my tiptoes.

"I like you," he started, reaching for something behind him. I took a sharp intake of air as a blade was held to my throat with his other hand, "Now, if you would like to keep it that way, I suggest you answer my question."

"You already know," I answered, "Wendy Darling is my family. She told me the stories, her stories, and you weren't in them. James Hook was."

"You are a wise girl," he chuckled, tracing the tip of the blade down my face, "There is something very inviting about your curiosity and wit."

"I get it from my grandmother," I snapped defiantly. He smiled, revealing perfect white teeth not much like a pirate at all.

"I have done my research Miss Darling," he began, releasing me and handing me the dagger. I took it confusingly, gripping it with my right hand. He resumed it normal spot at his desk, his back facing me. He began rummaging through papers senselessly. "I suppose you are wondering why you were brought here… why you are important."

"I get it," I said, "You wanted to kidnap me to hurt Peter."

"Hmph," he slightly laughed, "You are quite wrong, dove." Again with the dove? Why was he calling me that? He continued on, "You see… Peter Pan has no idea that I am here. He believes that Captain James Hook has ordered his men to kidnap you and use you against him just as you said."

"If that's not it than what is?" I said, my fingers beginning to cramp at how hard I was holding the dagger.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked.

"No…" I whispered. I took a leap of faith and attacked him, holding the knife to his throat the best I could. He leaned his head back to prevent himself from getting cut. Though he was laughing, I had power over him.

"You really should pay attention, Darling," he laughed.

"Oh yeah?" I asked in his ear, "And why's that?"

"Why do you think I gave you the dagger?"

In a split second, the roles were switched. The new captain overpowered me by twisting my left hand in one of his, allowing him to slide behind me and hold the dagger to my neck with my own hand. I fought weakly, my left arm bending in ways it shouldn't. He rested his chin on my shoulder, taking a long dreamy-like breath. I shuddered, his rich musky smell making me second guess my eyesight.

"Lesson number one," he whispered, "Pay attention to the actions of others."

"Who are you?" I asked out of breath.

"Captain Cristopher James Hook," he introduced formally, "Call me Cris. And your world is about to be changed even more than it already has. First, we must kill Peter Pan."

"No," I winced as his grip on me tightened. Suddenly, there was a booming sound that resembled a cannon shot. Cris moved the both of so we were facing the door. He sighed in a happy relief.

"Right on cue," he said, "He's returned."

Peter's POV

The way to Neverland is like floating aimlessly through Limbo. You can get lost if you don't do it right, meaning this pirates have been planning and training for this attack behind my back for longer than I thought. I flew through what seemed to be space, the stars, no one quite knew. I was at top speed. Tinkerbell could hardly keep up with me.

_Will you slow down?! If she's already dead, there's no point of going this fast. _

"Shut-up, Tink!" I growled over the rushing of wind around us, "She's not dead!" Tink didn't quite say much after that. She always made a fuss over things like this. She was just jealous that I didn't pay as much attention to her. Most girls I like that I've come to learn. Even with Wendy, Tink never quite got over the place she held in my heart. Maybe that's why she asked the boys to shoot her down.

The boys… I did miss them. They're no more a myth than I am. Just like in the story Wendy told, they went back… decided to live a growing life with a mother and father. Eventually, they scattered off and made families of their own. Quite frankly, I wasn't sure if they remembered anything at all.

I shook the thought from my head and kept flying. If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that they needed Tori very much alive. If that weren't true, they wouldn't have gone through all the trouble.

The space around me began to get brighter and brighter. We approached what I called "The Portal", the way to get from Earth to Neverland back-and-forth. It really did take its toll on you if you weren't strong enough to handle it. The first couple times going to London and Neverland every day had me beat. I could hardly stand up sometimes. The Portal's light grew and grew until the in-between state grew silent and white. I trusted Tink would be close by as we entered our home.

Neverland.

If I was gone long enough, the weather would change. That's how most people here knew when I was gone or have returned from a long journey, so I wasn't surprised to see a winter wonderland version of Neverland. I didn't leave often until I thought of the grand plan to follow Wendy for sixty-five years. Sometimes, I think that was one of my greatest decisions yet… until I started growing.

It all makes sense, you know. When I was in London, my clock was no long paused. If you added that up for that many years, it's a wonder how I haven't gotten to be even older. Still, when I came home, a part of me has made its way back into my body. I took things a little more lightly and enjoyed every bit of adventure I could get my hands on. Pretty soon, I was about to get the thrill of a lifetime.

I stopped seeing Captain Hook after he was removed from the crocodile's belly. Poor creature. I actually tried to stop it at some point in time, but came across the beast too late. Our world has evolved to inhabit more sharks than crocodile's now. That would make for another interesting story one day. Plus, I got to see my oldest enemy again.

The snow and ice was already beginning to subside. Ironically, the last thing that was left to thaw was the pirate ship close to the main shore. The sun was out and I could hear the Indian tribes, mermaids, and fairies rejoicing already. It was going to be nice not having to go back to London for a while. As long as Tori was willing to stay for a while… if she even had the choice.

Right, Tori. I looked back and signaled Tink to take an alternate route around the pirate ship so she would go unseen. I would be as witty and sarcastic as I've always been to my fellow crewmen. Teasing and tormenting Captain Hook was not only easy, but fun. I would have Tori back in a matter of minutes. I waited for the signal they always had to indicate that I was approaching them hot and heavy. A cannonball flew above the clouds and plopped into the water with a huge splash. The boom echoed through the entire island, making the birds fly above the trees and back down again.

Getting closer to the pirate ship, I could see all of the men on deck scurrying about as if they were preparing for battle. I laughed to myself and concluded my flight by hovering right above their beloved plank. The air was warm now and the water's waves were abundant. Still, the pirate ship remained a frozen tundra. The pirates all assumed their positions, swords and pistols in hands, but there was no sign of Captain Hook.

"Mr. Smee," I called, "Did he really think he would be getting rid of me that easily?" Given, it was easy to get rid of me due to the fact that Tori pushed me off a building… but I was hoping Smee just didn't remember it.

"Now s-see here, young man," he called back, "You best be backin' off the ship or you'll be sorry!"

"Ha!" I chortled, "And why's that? Hook managed to find his hand in the crocodile and sewed it back on?"

"Not quite," another voice answered. My attention shifted from Mr. Smee to the entrance of the Captain's Quarters. A man younger like myself stood out from the rest of the pirates due to his impeccable good-looks. He was the Adonis of pirates, which only made me want to laugh harder; but I refrained. He held Tori's arm twisted behind her back with a knife to her throat. She stared up at me in terror, shaking her head in a warning. Little did she know I wasn't afraid of some new kid trying to be a bad guy.

"Oh yeah? And you are you?" I asked, keeping my calm as he held Tori a little too tightly.

"Ah, yes," he answered, walking forward with her. She kept her gaze on me as he proceeded, "We have not met yet, Pan. It appears that during your various disappearances, we've all lost sight of the great Captain James Hook. Therefore, I have decided to take over for the amount of time he wishes to be away."

So he was the one who planned the attack on Tori? He took her to use her against me, like expected, when we haven't even gotten into our first one-on-one brawl? "I'm impressed," I called back, "To learn so much about my relationship with the Darlings before you kidnapped one."

"I felt the need to take extra precautions," he continued, "And lovely Tori here has just been a dream." Referring to her in that way gave me a flash of anger, one I tried my best to conceal. I needed Tink to create a diversion, one that would help me get to Tori and get her out of there.

"How about you and I discuss our options before slitting the girl's throat," I offered, not sure of what else I could've said.

"Slit her throat?" he asked, "No of course not, Pan. No, my intentions are to keep her here very much alive and well; maybe not because we wish to use her against you, but because I have grown accustomed to her." With that, he pressed the knife harder to Tori's throat, causing her to groan in pain. He threw her to her knees, revealing the evident line of blood forming right where they blade cut her. My eyes felt like they were glowing red and I darted down on the deck of the ship.

"Peter," Tori said, gasping, coughing.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked sinisterly angry. He formed a signature evil half-smile that almost chilled my bones.

"I'm the new Captain," he answered.


	7. Cold Waters

Tori's POV

I've only been in one fight in my entire life. It had to have been my first week at

Brickford when the big bully (let's call her Bertha) decided to make her unwanted presence apparent everywhere I went. It started as harmless teasing I always managed to ignore. Little did Bertha know, but we had caddy girls like her in America too. It wasn't until one particular day she saw me walking alone like always and tripped me flat on my face. My anger built up so quickly, Bertha had no clue what hit her when my palm met her face with a crack so loud, the students thought it was whip.

I ended up with a black eye and bloody lip. Considering Bertha's muscle mass and five-inches-taller advantage, I knew I didn't stand much a chance. Still, I gained respect from the student body just for standing up to her. A certain soul happened to come across me after the fight cleared, beaten and bloody on the floor. He picked me up, invaded the women's bathroom and helped me clean up.

"So you like to fight?" he asked. I couldn't help but stare. He was exceptionally good-looking in a quirky kind of way. His hair was the craziest part, pointing every direction possible. I wondered if he did that purpose.

"No," I chuckled, "I actually kind of suck at it."

"Yeah, I can tell," he smiled crookedly, "You're going to have black eye, babe."

"Babe?" I said, "I have name."

"Tori Darling, right?" My eyes snapped to his in an instant. "The whole school's been talking about you upon arrival. It's not hard to overhear."

"So what's your name?" I inquired after a pause.

"Oliver," he said, straightening his thin gray tie after finishing up with my face, "You're all set."

"Hey, thanks," I called as he began to leave the restroom. He sighed and turned around, giving me a suspicious up-down glance before taking a leap of faith on me.

"You like coffee, Tori Darling?" he asked.

"Yeah," I smiled, "Sure."

Believe me, it wasn't a date; but after that moment, Oliver and I were best friends and we always will be. I needed him in my life to function properly. There was no life without him.

I thought back to that conversation as I was approached with a choice: a choice to fight by a friend's side (sort of a friend, right?) or stand by and hope I don't get killed… which I probably would. At that moment, I wanted Oliver there with me or hell, even Bertha the bully. This fight was so advanced from my one experience I didn't know what to do. I was free but without a weapon and there was no way I was going to be able to use my fists against these grown men.

The brawl between Peter and Cris began instantly. Peter obtained a sword from the closest clueless pirate just as Cris drew his. As Peter advanced, Cris gave an evil grin to me, "Don't let Miss Darling get too far."

Okay, so now was the time to decide. Multiple pirates surrounded me now, including the one that I threw the knife at earlier. He waved, "Remember me, girly?" he asked, taking a large step forward, "That really hurt. Now you're gonna pay."

I reacted quickly, not allowing him to knock the wind out of me as his fist swung above my head. I ducked down and crawled under his knees. Because of his size, I was lot quicker than him. Taking one big step of a wooden crate to catch momentum, I flung myself on the pirates back, hitting him in the back with my elbow and shielding his with my finger nails. My foot hooked underneath the handle of his sword on his hip, trying to pull it up so I could grab it. Unfortunately, the pirate had terrible balance on the ice. He spun around, stumbling back and forth on the deck making most of the pirates laugh. It was all a joke until he slammed against the railing of the ship, until I lost my grip on him, until I began spiraling overboard.

The water was frigid from the vast weather change, probably because of Peter's return. It felt as if a million tiny icicle needles were piercing my skin. I've never felt this kind of cold before, the kind that hurt then made you numb. The waves swallowed me up a while before I actually broke to the surface. I was able to keep my head above water most of the time, an occasional wave making me lose air. Everything was quiet up on deck from down here. I couldn't tell if Peter even realized I was down here.

"NO!" two voice yelled simultaneously. I turned around in the water to see my worst nightmare a couple hundred feet away and vastly approaching. Dangerous aquatic animals made me panic, especially sharks. Even being a little girl, the ocean gave me extreme anxiety. The dorsal fin was treading its own little waves, challenging me.

I didn't get a scream out until another body suddenly broke the surface, emerging quickly from the water and taking me into midair. Higher and higher we flew, but I couldn't sense the air on my skin. I was so cold, too cold to function… too cold to stay conscious.

Damn, my head hurt.

Peter's POV

Captain Cris could fight well. He worked expertly with a sword and he knew just what to do to push my buttons. Hurting Tori sent me over the edge and he knew that would happen. Any playful banter between Captain Hook and I was no match for this guy. He knew me inside and out, like he's been waiting for me.

It all made sense really. He orchestrated this entire operation to kidnap Tori and bring her to Neverland in hopes of me giving up myself. Once they had me, they would kill me and go on with their lives. Hell, they'd probably kill Tori too; but they didn't know her. I didn't even know her. She had a fire, a spark that turned a switch in a brain, a switch that made her fight for her life. There was even a point where she was fighting for mine.

I heard her scream as she fell overboard. Not only was the water dangerously cold, but there were sharks infesting the waters. They never hesitated to pick up what the Captain decided to throw overboard, whether it be rotten fish or a human being.

"NO!" I yelled the same time another voice did. I turned back to see Captain Cris's terrified expression stare after Tori as she hit the water in pure confusion. He wanted her dead, both of us dead. Now he was yelling after Tori and letting me run past his men to save her?

What the hell was going on?

She was unconscious when I picked her up. Her entire body felt like ice and I knew there was only one way to save her in time. "Tink!" I called as I flew farther and farther away from the pirate ship. I was nearly hovering above the trees, trying to get home as soon as I could. Tink eventually came to my side, but could barely keep up.

_Did you see that?! He didn't want her to get gobbled up by the sharks!_

"You could've caught her, Tink!" I scowled at her as I picked up speed, "She was falling and you could've made her fly!"

_Peter, I was focusing on you!_ She sounded offended, her light glowing in a rich red. _I'm sorry I wasn't looking at pretty girl over here getting herself thrown overboard. _

"She's not like Wendy," I snapped, "She will fight a lot harder, even if it means losing."

_Sorry I can't read her like an open book. _

"Yeah, well I know how you're going to make it up to me," I said, giving her a sinister grin.

_What?_ Her light returned back to normal.

Cris's POV

How could I have let him pass? My actions, my impulsive behavior was out of body, out of mind. How did I become so reckless with my thoughts and decisions so rapidly? The plan was well thought out by me. Though carried on by a herd of idiots, it did go much smoother than I had anticipated. Yet, I still wasn't happy. I didn't have Pan's head on a platter and I didn't have Tori Darling in my care.

Tori Darling… that was it.

I threw a dagger at the wooden wall of my cabin, causing a small mirror hanging to fall to the floor with a sheer crack. This young girl was using her evil warmth to impair me, to distract me from killing Pan. Next time, I would hesitate to kill them both.

"Cap'n!" Smee exclaimed, barging into the cabin clumsily.

"I thought I asked you to knock rather than intrude unannounced," I sneered at him.

"C-cap'n, you wanted to s-see some men of yours," Smee insisted.

"Ah, yes," I realized, as the five pirates entered the cabin, cramped and frightened, "Thank you." Smee stood by the door, shutting it behind the last man timidly. They all waited for me to being speaking once again, "I am disappointed. Not only have we failed to kill Peter Pan but you have failed to keep Tori Darling in captivity."

"Sir," one interjected. He towered high above my own height but that did not make me hesitate as I drew my pistol from my belt and pull the trigger instantly. If I wasn't mistaken, he was the man who allowed Miss Darling to fall from the ship and into the cold waters. There was no need to keep him on staff.

The rest of the men shook violently in fear. It was just the way any captain would want to see their crewmen. Why is that I was still unsatisfied with the man who brought Tori harm… the man who couldn't get her back is what I meant to say. I never took the time to learn the names of most of the pirates on the ship, except for Mr. Smee. They did not take the time to learn mine since they spent most stays calling me Captain Hook. It simply made me cringe.

"Is there anything else the rest of you would like to say?" I asked openly, each man knowing very well if they spoke out of line I would shoot them in an instant.

"Cap'n Cris," one shrilled nervously. I directed my pistol to them but waited to pull the trigger. He continued on before I could make another move, "We have a way to g-get the girl back, I mean. With or without Pan she is bound to come without a-advantage."

"And what is the advantage?" I questioned, making a gesture with the gun to continue with his words.

"W-well, you see, what have a Plan B, s-sir," he choked. The other pirates nodded, including Mr. Smee. I slowly lowered my pistol, thinking through the positive aspects of obtaining Tori Darling's free will once again. If this was something that could actually work, two minutes would all I need for them to explain their "Plan B".

"Tell me of this Plan B, gentlemen," I beckoned.

** It's a little short, but I'm really tired so I will just get the next chapter up faster. I'm loving the reviews. They're great. Plus, I will probably not being using Cris's POV anymore unless it's really necessary or you guys really like it. It's hard to keep that balanced and I kind of like it just Tori and Peter, but let me know what you think about that too. Thanks! **


	8. Glow

**Don't worry, I'm still here! I feel so bad for not posting this long but I just got settled into school and it took multiple days to get settled in. I originally had the chapter done a long time ago but I really wasn't feeling it. It was sloppy and half-ass. So hopefully I can start back up. It'll be worth the wait!**

Tori's POV

Back and forth… no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop the swaying going back and forth repeatedly. I was in a freezing black ocean of nothing, the cold so inescapable and torturous that I wanted to cry… if I could only wake up.

I thought I was still on a boat because of the rocking movements that were making me feel sick to my stomach; but I was convinced otherwise when the black grew brighter and brighter until I could feel control regaining from my body. I could move my eyes underneath my lids; yes, I was okay.

_Will you stop blaming me! I didn't even see her fall overboard. I was busy watching your ass get kicked by the new captain!_ The voice I heard as I woke up was high-pitched, irritated, and extremely echoic. Though I didn't recognize who it was, I excused the way she sounded by the fact that I was floating in and out of consciousness. I wanted to throw a temper tantrum (at least I think I did), when a plummeting feeling in my stomach took over again and I passed out.

The second time I caught myself, I managed to open my eyes ever so slightly, seeing the blurry image of a worried face hovering over me. His eyes were the brightest, most beautiful shade of green. Yet, they were so familiar. I just want to reach up and touch them.

"Stay warm, Tori," he said, "I've got you. Just stay warm."

The microscopic muscles at the corners of my mouth turned up into a subtle smile. Such nice eyes. I knew who he was; I just couldn't put my finger on it. Once again, the black ocean devoured me whole, taking my smile with it.

The third time I woke up, I came to the realization that the parts of my body that used to ache weren't in pain anymore. In fact, I'd never felt so loose and healed in my life. My eyes fought to open but my attempt failed. I could hear though… I could hear perfectly clear.

"You need to rest, Tink," he said, "I'll take care of her."

Who knows how much time passed after that? Hours? Days? Weeks? Was I even going to wake up? Believe me, the thought process is completely screwed when you're this far under. I couldn't even dream, which scared me the most. If I couldn't dream, maybe my brain was shutting down, maybe I was dying.

Then it all came back to me, like my brain was a vacuum and it sucked up my puddle memory in a millisecond. My eyes were shut but I felt myself being pulled closer and closer to the real world… the real world. I was in Neverland. My body was cold. I was thrown off a pirate ship… because they kidnapped me. Captain Hook is missing and his replacement didn't only want me alive, but he wanted no harm put upon anyone but himself.

And Peter Pan saved me.

I sat up opened my eyes widely in one fluid motion. The world around me was now clear as crystal, the air filling my lungs felt fresh and colder than my frozen body. Looking down I realized I was wrapped in multiple fur skins, the authentic pelts so soft and warm I could swim in a sea of them contently. I was sitting in a pile of a soft cotton material that volumized into what could very well work as a bed. It was very impressive, but not easy to admire when I realized I was completely naked underneath the blankets.

Practically shrieking, I bunched up all of the fur I could to my torso and chest. Where were my clothes!? My eyes scanned the entire area, my head rolling around violently in my neck socket. It was all wood there; the walls curving to form a circle. The ground was soft dirt, hard to avoid, and the ceiling was nonexistent as the walls just traveled higher and higher up until I couldn't see them anymore.

I was in a tree.

The architecture became more complex with two tunnels, the entrances parallel to the each other leading into two other rooms. If there was one thing Grandmother failed to mention in her stories, it was the elaborate detail of Peter's secret hideout. I guess she failed at mentioning a few other things to me, too. Being sore about that probably wasn't going to disappear for a while.

I sighed in relief as I saw my clothes weren't that far away from where I was sitting. A small fireplace with a fire almost too big to fit was drying my clothes, hanging over a tight line made of twine. When I got dressed my frozen fingers ached underneath my extremely warm clothes. They felt like they were just pulled out of a dryer, making me think of home for the first time in hours. Grandmother wasn't such a good story-teller after all. She didn't say anything about a new captain or the fact that any of this was real. It wasn't easy to grasp the idea, which only made me think of it more. It would be hard to forgive her.

My head wasn't in pain anymore. In fact, my entire body felt brand new. Considering the odds against me actually healing on my own, I concluded it was Peter. I reached for a small looking glass next to the fire and examined small pink scars where my injuries used to be.

"You're awake," Peter said from behind me. Normally, I would've been startled when he came from behind me. But I wasn't. Whenever he was around, something felt whole inside and I could just tell he was there. That's the way I always felt when I heard about his adventures. I turned around to face him, so many questions coming and going from my head quicker than my memory could hold.

"You look so different," I stated. It was true. Unlike in London, Peter had a glow about him. It was so bright it was as if it were physically visible. His street clothes were swapped out with faded hunter green shorts and a white v-neck. He looked so different, but he was still Peter Pan. Just a little older.

"Yeah," he smiled, "I hope I didn't forget to mention I actually can grow up. If I'm in London long enough, it's easy."

"You were in London long?" I asked.

"Back and forth for over sixty years," he answered remorsefully, "I guess I wasn't paying much attention." It made sense. It was why I always felt so full; because he truly was there wherever I went.

There it was again: the bells. Except this time, it wasn't coming from inside my head. It was distant at first, only to get louder and louder. I grew startled when a giant ball of golden starbursts flew into the room. It proceeded to hover directly in my face, making the gold hue blinding. My vision focused around a tiny silhouette, a mousy face teasing me with bright eyes and goofy expressions. I gasped in surprise. She was so tiny, but so powerfully light. Peter instantly swatted her thinking I was afraid of her. She ricocheted off a pile of dead leaves tumbled to the floor.

"No," I retorted, grabbing the arm he swung with using both hands. He stared down at my hands then back up at me, making me lose grip. His face was getting red.

_You're a little rusty, Pan_.

"Who said that?!" I exclaimed, turning around in a circle to see if anyone was hiding in the room.

"Wait you can hear her?" Peter asked, taking a step closer to me. I registered that the ball of light was her… Peter's companion. She was real, and right before my eyes… making faces at me.

"Y-yeah," I said, staring at her glowing face. She did cartwheels and somersaults in the air like a trapeze artist, doing flashy tricks as if she were introduced in a circus show.

"Tori," he said, swatting Tinkerbelle away. He missed this time. She flew on his shoulder which lead me to meet his eyes, "Humans don't understand fairies. How can you?"

"I'm, uh, still trying to figure out how I got here," I said, turning away from him, "I was just kidnapped by a gang of pirates." Now that Peter was there, every question I ignored prior to this encounter flooded back to me in an instant. I had to breathe, remember that I would find out majority of my questions as we moved farther down the road, but there was one question that I just couldn't ignore.

"Peter?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Who took my clothes off?"

"Oh," Peter replied, as if he were remembering something completely irrelevant, "Tink did. The cold wet clothes weren't going to help you stay warm. She healed you, too." Tinkerbell, who had been playfully gliding through the air did, caught my observation. Though she seemed extremely energized, her eyes were tired and her light was dim. Regardless of who she did it for, I would be forever grateful.

"You both saved me," I said, "Thank you." My eyes connected with Tinkerbell's. We felt a moment of appreciation until she started taunting me again with her airborne tricks.

_Don't mention it. Please. _With that, Tinkerbell flew up and out of the tree, going somewhere unknown to only me. Peter slightly hovered off the ground to meet me. Still not used to him flying, I stumbled back against the wall, almost knocking over the mirror.

"Shit," I said, turning around to catch it.

"It's okay," he laughed, "Wow; you're not as used to this as Wendy was. She caught on pretty quickly."

"Well, it's been an interesting couple hours," I replied.

"Well, we don't have much time," Peter said cheerfully, taking my by the hand and guiding me to an arched threshold with stairs. I pulled back from him, making him turn back to me, "What are you waiting for?"  
"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Um," I faltered, "How did you know where to find me?"

"Well," he sighed, "I could sort of… feel it. Look, I have no idea what's going on between you and I but I know where we can get answers."

"What about why those disgusting pirates kidnapped me?" I asked.

"Girls can be so ditzy sometimes," Peter laughed. I didn't. He continued, "The pirates took you hostage in exchange for me. Trust me, they did it with Wendy. It never works."

"Yes," I said sarcastically, "You're far too clever, Peter."

"I sense you don't mean that," he said.

"I thought that was their plan too," I explained, "But it's not. Cris told me I was wrong."

"So what could possibly be the reason?" he asked.

"I didn't really get that far in the conversation," I said, looking down, "He was… he was really hard to talk to… being evil and all." And blatantly seductive.

"We'll worry about it later," Peter said, "First we need to teach you to fly!"

"Fly?!" I asked nervously, digging my heels in the dirt as he tried to pull me again.

"You're going to have to learn," he laughed, wrapping his arms around my waist to bring me in front of him. He closed off any escape as we started up the spiraling dirt stairs. After a few moments of walking Peter spoke, "Tori?"

"Yeah?" I replied, looking over my shoulder at him.

"Back in London," he began, "When you and I were on top of the building… and you were trying to get me to fly…"

"Oh…" That.

"I was so weak, I was only able to use some flight to break my fall," he explained, "It's just that…" Oh boy, here it comes. My face was getting red and my hands were sweating as Peter continued with his question, "How did you get me to fly, Tori? I didn't want to, and I didn't do it willingly."

"Oh!" I blurted, nearly tripping up the next step. He caught me; the skin coming in contact with mine only brought back the previous night. He doesn't remember I kissed him… and he didn't have to. "Nothing, Peter," I answered, "I just pushed."

"Hmm," he chuckled, the hum in my ear giving my butterflies in my stomach.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." I could feel his smile.

**With school, I'm going to get a schedule and figure something out. I'll get the chapters up though guys. Don't worry. It won't take nearly as long as this one did. Please read and review. **


	9. A Beautiful Place To Be

Peter's POV

If there was one thing I knew Tinkerbell hated, it was using her dust on anyone but me. Hell, she'd use every ounce of energy she had to heal someone she hated before she'd let me use her as a salt shaker. She was expecting it, too. If Tori was going to be in Neverland, she was going to have to learn to fly. If it meant I didn't have to carry her, Tinkerbell might make an exception.

Girls are a weird thing, aren't they? Tinkerbell's been with me for as long as I can remember, and I'd never replace her with any other fairy. But, she hates anyone who comes close to me. I mean, think of Wendy. She threatened to kill her if she gave me another "thimble" again. Little did I know that was actually a kiss… just like a said, weird.

Tori didn't want to fly. I could tell. She was scared, but everyone is nervous the first time they try. Except for me of course. I'm not afraid of much. That was another thing about girls. They were afraid of everything.

If there was one thing about Tori though, it's that she wasn't afraid of most things. I had a bad feeling, she would wake up and want to go home or even attack me. She was put in plenty of life threatening situations, but still didn't try to run away from me. It must've been the Darling blood in her; the side that's known this place her entire life even when she isn't physically here.

"Are you sure I should fly?" she asked me, the way she timidly looked up at me made me laugh. I led her out of the hideout into the clearing next to the tree. The clear blue sky was bright above us, the trees giving way for us flyers.

"Well, I'd carry you but you might learn the hard way I lose my grip," I replied, "Besides, you never know when we'll be under attack. The pirates will probably try to come after you again."

"So how do I do this?" she asked.

"Oh, Tinkerbell!" I called sarcastically. The blasted fairy was hiding. Unfortunately she was _my_ fairy, meaning she had to answer to me. I was completely unavoidable.

Just as expected, Tink's gold light quickly floated down to me, hovering in front of my face with a pouty look. I laughed and gestured to Tori, giving her a look of sternness and gratefulness. She hesitated, but complied and flew rapid circles above Tori's head. The sparkling dust showered over her, landing in her golden hair. I could see her stare at me through the glimmer and she immediately began to fly upwards. Seeing the impressive rate Tori began to fly in, Tinkerbell flew away in a huff. Ha, typical. She'd be back.

"Oh!" Tori gasped. Her feet were now parallel with my face. Her fear and resistance caused her to lose it. Before she could hit the ground, I closed my arms tightly around her torso, her feet right above the ground. She stared at me in amazement.

"What were you thinking about?" I asked her. She stared above us at the sky quizzically.

"I know we've never met before," she began, "But I feel like I've known you my whole life." She completely regretted what she said, making this face like she ate something sour. I grinned all the same.

"You have," I said, touching her bottom lip with my thumb. I didn't really realize I was doing it. I stared at it intensely, like I was listening to the climax of one of Wendy's thrilling stories. Tori didn't know whether to be frightened or flattered. Once I saw what it is I was doing, I pulled my hand away, putting her completely on the ground and taking a step back casually.

"It's all about your thoughts," I explained, "Keeping your mind clear and not letting the outside break through. Can you do it?"

"Yes," she answered, determined, "I can."

"Then let's go," I smiled, taking her hand.

It was easy to guide Tori with a grip on her. It wasn't possible for her to veer off or even lose control with the wind. She was surprised with herself as we flew above the trees, the forest, everything. Her heartbeat was fast like a hummingbird's wings. Her nervousness was funny. It's as if it didn't suit her, making it more a joke.

Neverland could change sometimes. The sky was still blue, the water still indigo, and trees still alive and well in their emerald hue. The bright colors contrasted like on of those unrealistic photos of some unknown vacation spot brochure. I'd see people in London looking at the advertisements just wishing and hoping they were little. It's ironic they had no clue that it was. It was all real.

To our right was the mermaid cove, the part where the water got darker and deeper. Nearby to them was the Black Castle, known for drowning Hook's prisoners chained to the rocks unable to avoid high tide. Then there were the Indian reservations, hidden underneath the trees except for their smoky fires sending off a warm signal. The one thing that did change was an addition to the forest, bright glowing and simply breathtaking: The Fairy Woodlands. Sometimes, if children dreamed enough of Neverland, they had the power to change it. They could build, take away anything they wanted. I never complained. It was nice to see something new for a change.

"It's beautiful," Tori whispered. I looked over at her and for a split second, Wendy was there. She was young, beautiful; her smile was almost brighter than her eyes. It was hard to understand that, though she was very much like her, Tori wasn't Wendy. She was something very different, something dangerously different. It was as if it wasn't safe to look at her. She frightened me and thrilled me at the same time. Her bravery, the way she looked at Neverland as we flew… it all made her into this entity that didn't even familiarize with Wendy.

Her mouth, the way it curved upwards into a small content beam made me stomach dance. It was a Darling secret, something I heard in stories of my own. In the right-hand corner of Tori Darling's mouth, just like her Grandmother, there was a kiss. It was hidden, you see. It was a prize, something that you had to earn. No one could just take it. It wasn't that easy. How strange that something so simple and seemingly easy to obtain could not be yours no matter how hard you tried.

"What are you staring at?" Tori laughs, making me snap out of it. My eyes alternated between her green eyes and the taunting kiss. I looked away and continued navigating to the reservation.

"Nothing," I coughed, "Just thought I saw something."

Tori's POV

I had never been somewhere more beautiful than Neverland. After soaring the skies with Peter, all my doubts and fears seemed to go away. It made it easy to fly. I just did as Peter said, not letting all of the bad things reach my thoughts. Feeling that way for even five minutes was enough to settle my nerves. I would have to thank him for that later.

"Where are we?" I asked as Peter guided us lower and lower to the ground. The bottoms of my feet brushed the top foliage of the trees until we reached another very large clearing. Three large log huts let smoke rise from small rectangular openings cut on top of them. They surrounded smaller teepees in the middle of the clears and between each hut. It seemed to be a big enough community, but no one was in sight.

"Weird," Peter said as we touched the dirt, "They're usually a lot more social than this."

"They?"

"ATTACK!"

Wait, what?

Peter quickly grabbed my arms and pulled me behind him. Indians of all sizes flooded out of their huts, tents, and teepees at the same time, weapons ready for assault. Their pelts and skins covered their bodies from the just breaking winter. Their faces were painted in reds, blues, and yellows in cultural warlike patterns and their hair was jet black decorated with feathers and wood beads. They were just what I imagined in Grandmother's stories, except they were trying to kill us.

"Stop!" cried a voice from afar. Peter quickly raised his hands in surrender while the Indians all lost their advance simultaneously. I sighed in relief when they recognized it was him. Still, I could feel a lot of eyes on me. They had no idea who I was and that scared them.

The voice stepped out of the crowd and my eyes bugged out in surprise. She was easy to recognize but not in the way you would think. I could only know her by her name, but I never knew her to be as beautiful or grown up as she was. Her smooth black hair was pulled back in a braid hanging over her right shoulder. Her skin was perfect, tanned and showing in man places. Her eyes were big and shone in the boldest brown I'd ever seen. She was the complete opposite of myself and envy flooded my body silently.

Tiger Lily.

"Peter!" she gasped, running into the clearing the Indians surrounding to wrap her arms around Peter's neck. He lifted her up and spun her around like they were in a romantic comedy together. Her legs hit my gut with a thud as he spun her, causing me to stumble back. Nobody seemed to notice… that's cool.

"Have you been keeping warm?" Peter joked, putting her down as her dainty little feet landed on the ground.

"We won't have to anymore," she smiled warmly, putting her hand on his face.

"Tiger Lily, this is Tori Darling," Peter introduced, turning to me with a hand gesture. Tiger Lily looked at me, giving up an up-down glance that Bertha the bully would give me.

"Yes," she said turning more attentively to me. That's when I observed she was even bigger in the chest area than me, "The captain captured you."

No shit.

"Yeah," I replied, "Um, hi." The way she spoke down to me made me want to hurl. She was arrogant, cocky, and flirtatious with Peter. Every aspect of this annoyed me when it normally wouldn't. I sighed. Something in the water, I guess.

"We're trying to figure out who this new captain is," Peter explained, "We thought you would have the answer." I kept my stare at Peter when I knew she was looking at me. She was going to be a problem, but if I wanted her help I would just have to deal with it.

"But of course," Tiger Lily laughed girlishly at him. All I wanted to do was mock her, but let her continue, "Rain Arrow mentioned we would be getting a visitor. Please, come." She beckoned us (well, mostly Peter) to follow her. Peter assumed I would follow, so I did. I still didn't appreciate his obliviousness to the situation at hand.

But I wasn't jealous.

"Rain Arrow?" I asked quietly to Peter as the Indians began rejoicing and celebrating Peter's arrival. We were behind Tiger Lily who was guiding us away from the crowd towards one of the larger teepees between two of the wooden huts. It was much more secluded than the rest of them and I concluded it was her home as well.

"Tiger Lily and a small handful of the Indians are the only ones who know how to speak English," Peter explains, "Rain Arrow can foresee the future."

"Meaning?" I asked.

"She can tell us who the new captain is," he answered.


End file.
